U.S. President Donald Trump has opted for a single federal framework to regulate artificial intelligence, in a bid to preserve America’s lead over China.
After signing an executive order on AI regulation on Thursday evening, Trump said: “We want there to be only one approval process. It’s common sense: every time something changes, companies have to go to each of the 50 states to get their sign-off. No! So we’re going to centralize all of this. Not doing it would be a gift to China.”
The new order—stating that “U.S. AI companies must be able to innovate without burdensome regulation”—aims to consolidate AI oversight at the federal level.
Trump is not the only one among Americans to address the issue, as other local laws already regulate the technology, covering a wide range of AI-related matters—from responsible development of generative AI models to the creation of deepfakes (AI-generated content depicting a person), as well as transparency requirements on the use of the technology.
In California, where an ambitious AI regulatory regime was due to take effect in early January, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to continue putting in place “common-sense safeguards.”
As an executive order does not carry the force of law, a fierce legal battle between the states and the White House now appears likely.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
